Where do you turn to find that perfect gift for your kids? We tend to look everywhere but the most obvious place: our kids. And I don't mean the list for Santa they've been compiling and revising since last Christmas. What our kids really want they will never write down on a list. make sure you maximize the time for you and your kids. That's the perfect gift this holiday season.

Often, the choice of whether or not to allow a child to walk to school unaccompanied is fraught with fears of injury or worse. When our generation was school-aged, parents didn't seem to worry about our physical safety as much as we worry about our kids' today. When is a child ready to walk to school unaccompanied?

Christmas. The birth of Jesus. And the crucifixion of your credit card. In spite of these uncertain economic times, we're spending more than ever on crap for our little crappers. You give your youngster a big, expensive gift only to watch him toss it aside to play with the wrapping paper. This year, save yourself money with homemade gifts...

When it comes to discipline, many parents have taken a large step backwards, and technology is to blame. In this day and age of smart phone journalism, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook shares, parents have become wary and hesitant of punishing their children in case their actions at any moment are recorded and uploaded to a willing audience in a matter of seconds.

While I believe it is important to keep our kids somewhat up to date with current affairs, do they really need to know and digest every piece of bad information that hits the ever expanding radar? A local station used to announce, just prior to the news, "It's 10 o'clock. Do you know where your children are?" I say, better yet, "Do your children always need to know what you know?"

At this time of the year, many parents are visiting their doctor's office with kids in tow, for everything from routine vaccinations to dealing with the sudden influx of colds and fevers. But just going to the doctor's office can make you sick...of thinking of ways to entertain them while you inevitably wait. Make sure you're prepared to keep the kids quiet and occupied.

We've all heard them. Those annoying phrases that our parents said to us growing up and now that we're parents ourselves, we've decided to inflict them our own kids. The reality is that the true meanings behind these messages that parents tell their kids are often not as straightforward as they appear to be. Following are the top 10 phrases that parents use on their kids, and what they really mean.

I was lost. A mother of six with four hormonal teenagers -- that in itself, even spouting out the words is enough to drive anyone to a liquored-stupor. But I am not here to tell you what you already know or what you fear, I want to share my survival skills, how I managed to keep myself together, or appear to and hope that some good comes out of my experience.

It's been planes, trains, hotels and automobiles for me this week and here's what caught my attention along the way. How many times a day do you Google something? It's such a part of our everyday life that it's as important as oxygen at SavvyMom HQ. But have you ever wondered what the "Google machine" actually looks like?

With four kids, money rarely physically stays on my person for more than a minute. It comes directly from the ATM, barely touching down into my wallet, before it goes out to the waiting hands of a retail merchant. I think this is partly because of safety concerns, but also it's also somewhat due to our own gullibility in believing what they really "need."

"You look good...for someone who's had four kids...especially since one of those kids is 21." I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that no mom ever wants to hear anything past "you look good." If in fact someone says this to you, you must move away immediately to avoid the unavoidable follow up sentences.

I attended a recent dinner party with a friend planning to get pregnant -- and soon. As we were clearing the plates, she asked me, "Do you want kids?" I stammered out an answer. Yes. No. I don't know. I don't want kids right now. She smiled at me sympathetically. "Well, some women just aren't meant to have kids." Hold up. Record scratch. What? I felt like getting pregnant right that moment, out of spite.

Not only are we enamored with the ability to send and receive information in a digital format, but our children are equally smitten. I hear more and more parents bemoaning the fact that they're not able to retrieve their iPad or laptop from their young child who is busy surfing the web, watching videos or playing games on the device. Here are the top seven ways that digital technology has affected our children -- the good and the bad.

Literacy paves the way for endless opportunities. It is a skill most of us take for granted, despite how fundamental it is to our daily lives. Both educators and parents play a key role in helping children become successful readers. Here are some tips on how to help get your kids reading!